Drive from SE London: 40 minutes from Sydenham to Knockholt Pound.

Another North Downs escarpment walk, this time to the west of the Darent Valley, but quite near the Polhill and Andrews Woods walks. Fine views, meadows and woods feature along with a massive 18th-century mansion. A straightforward, easy-to-navigate route that surprised me with its length when I GPX’d it (it feels shorter than five miles). Chevening is an attractive hamlet with a lovely church. Some slightly strenuous uphills but nothing too severe, and a few stiles between points 3 and 5. 

Shorter, 3.5 mile-version see instructions at bottom of page

Getting there: Knockholt Pound village is an easy drive on the A21, then turn right on to Rushmore Hill at, wait for it, Pratt’s Bottom. There are buses, the R5 and R10, but they’re infrequent. Knockholt Station (trains from Charing Cross) is about two miles from the start of the walk so not much good really unless you can get a taxi or have a bike. It always rains when I go there – even when the forecast is good.

Download a PDF of the route to print out

For Ordnance Survey GPX map click here

Start of walk: Chevening Lane. Park in Knockholt Pound village or at the bottom (northern end) of Chevening Lane.

Point 1-2 2km: Park in the village, near the Three Horseshoes pub. Walk south down Chevening Lane (Point 1), a really nice road to stroll down with lovely trees and one or two vivid gardens. There are next to no cars, because it’s effectively a dead end with few houses. After about 350 metres (6 minutes?) you reach the North Downs Way footpath. Turn right here (westward). There are fields on your right – left fallow and really rewilded in summer 2022 – and dense woodland on your left. About half way to point 2 there’s a view down a cleared streak of woods of Chevening House at the foot of the scarp a couple of miles distant. The path is easy to follow as it twists around with much of the land either side private property, so there’s little risk of losing yourself. Shortly before reaching point 2 after about a mile the path enters woods, turns sharp left then right and generally zig zags. Then suddenly you hit a country lane (Point 2), Sundridge Hill.

Point 2-3 700m: Turn left (south) on verdant Sundridge Hill (You can take the path opposite instead and walk down the edge of a field if you like – but it only comes out 100m further down the lane so no need.) It’s a quiet road with just the occasional car and bike so although you have to walk a third of a mile down it, it’s pretty safe. Thick hedgerows line both sides of the lane with dense woods on your left. Yellowhammers, red kites and buzzards seem common here. Walk past Knockholt Lodge on left, then around 230 metres further on you’ll come to Keepers Cottage (point 3), again on the left.

Point 3-4 1.5km: Just past Keepers Cottage, look for the footpath gate (joined to a larger gate) on the left and stride off, heading downhill through the woods heading south-east. Soon you’ll leave the woods and hit a lovely meadow overlooked by a bench. Follow the footpath easterly now (you may encounter a broken stile as of 2022 here) and enter another meadow via woodland with a decent view of Chevening House up ahead. This meadow has a dead tree in it… maybe a lightning strike. Stay descending on this path over the odd stile and enter the Chevening estate proper… the ‘keep out’ signs will ensure you maintain the right course! After emerging from the final bits of woodland, the path crosses a lane within the grounds amid pleasant pasture/parkland. Note ahead, to the right, the church tower of Chevening’s St Botolph’s; that’s where we’re headed. Eventually the Chevening estate path reaches a T junction: a north-south path (point 4). (If you’ve had enough, turn left, which heads straight back to Chevening Lane – but you’ll miss some of the best bits.)

Point 4-5: 1.5km: At point 4, turn right for Chevening (south). The hamlet has the feel of somewhere that never made it out of the 1930s with its ancient telephone box, old houses and churchyard. It’s a lovely spot that always makes me want a cream tea for some reason. But that’s a Devon thing… in Kent, forget it, unless you’re in National Trust territory. Walk through the churchyard and turn left heading east and take the slightly overgrown path directly behind. This path is pretty good for wildflowers, particularly purple thorns and knapweed, mallow and wild teasels. As a result it’s popular with birds, especially goldfinches. After about 300-500 metres you reach a house and then the path emerges on to the quite busy Sundridge Road. You are also quite near the M25 here as the noise will make you aware. This is Point 5.

Point 5-back to start 2.8km: The longest section, and perhaps the best. You’ll only be on Sundridge Rd for 200 metres, but take care please, especially if you have children with you, it’s quite busy and a bit fast. After (Turvin) farm buildings, take the path on the left – over a stile (the last one) – heading north towards the North Downs chalk escarpment, first alongside a cereal field (maize at the moment). Then the path turns sharp left before, after a few metres, turning right on to the grassy/meadowy escarpment – the entrance to this path is a bit concealed in summer by plants so you won’t see the entrance until you are on top of it. Once going up the hill, follow the path slightly northwest, skirting Star Hill Wood. Take it slow and enjoy the views over the vale behind you and over towards Ide Hill, perched on the Greensand Ridge to the south and further east towards Kemsing Down, Ightham and Oldbury Hill. The path, actually the North Downs Way, bends round to the west – IGNORE ANY PATH OFF TO THE RIGHT. At one point it looks as if you are heading to a dead end, but it isn’t – there’s a concealed gate. Don’t take any path off to the right too early!! Our path continues on the hillside with light woods on the right until we enter the trees at the top of the scarp. After a few metres the path turns left so continue east across a field with woods on the left. Continue through a little scrap of woodland then follow the path along the side of a field then you hit Chevening Lane again. Voila, finis.

Any pubs? Three Horseshoes by the start of the walk at Knockholt Pound. It’s got Larkins and Westerham Brewery Ales, a good beer garden and here’s the website. There’s a handy shop very close by, too, that’s usually open for drinks and snacks.

Chevening House: Still kept in government use and for the odd royal (they’re all quite odd). I think Nick Clegg lived there for a bit and Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Dominic Raab used to argue about who was going to stay there. Sorry to mention these names – among the worst in our entire history. Read about it on Wikipedia or its own page here. You can’t visit it or even get very close.

What’s nearby? The huge Coolings Garden Centre, on two sites, is probably the biggest draw. If you’ve time for another walk straight after this one, it’s not far to Andrews Wood (east) for the Polhill Bank/Pluto route or a quick stroll in Meenfield Woods. Or head a few miles west for the shorter Downe circular. Ide Hill isn’t far away either – from where you can look back at the Chevening route to the north.

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Shorter version 3.5 miles

For your real time location see Ordnance Survey GPX map here

I was recently told this short version was one of the very best walks at KWNL. This surprised me but in mid-summer it’s an absolute treat with superb wildflowers and butterflies after point 5. Unlike the longer route the circuit starts by heading east (left on the North Downs Way).

Point 1-2 (550 metres): Park in Chevening Lane or Knockholt Pound village. Walk down to the end of Chevening Lane then take the North Downs Way path on the left, heading east. This is point 2.

Point 2-3 (400m): Walk through a field then a piece of woodland then watch out for the path on the right heading downhill through woods to the south (point 3).

Point 3-4 (1.4km): Walk downhill (possibility livestock in this field) initially through trees then emerge on open pasture with a glorious view towards Ide Hill to the south. This is a cleft in the North Downs escarpment with the path in the middle of it. Near the base of the slope it joins another path hading towards Chevening. Watch out for the church tower and head for it. The church is point 4.

Point 4-5 (800m) At the church, walk through the graveyard to the path heading east. Follow this all the way to quite busy Sundridge Road. Continue carefully on this road then look for path just after Turvin farm buildings heading north off to the left (point 5).

Point 5-Chevening Lane (2.5km): By far the longest segment. From Point 5 take the path towards the North Downs escarpment, first alongside a cereal field then, after a sharp left then quickly a slightly hidden sharp right, on to the more meadowy escarpment itself where you climb slightly north-west, skirting Star Hill Wood. The path, actually the North Downs Way, bends round to the west with lovely views to the left and behind you. DO NOT JOIN ANY PATH HEADING OFF TO THE RIGHT at this stage. Even continue towards an apparent dead end at one point (there’s a hidden gate). At the top of the scarp, follow the trail through the woodland gap, with a solitary small tree in the middle, then simply follow it heading west. You’ll soon find yourself retracing your initial steps on the walk, passing meadows and woodland strips back to Chevening Lane again.